Monday, April 17, 2017

Dusk

Dusk is actually my favourite time of the day.
I'm not a morning person so dawn is not really my cup of tea.

Dusk.
It's a different story.

When the sky takes on pink, orange, purple, blue and grey hues all at the same time.
When the clouds seem lighter and yet, more settled.
When the birds fly home to roost.
When even the temperature seems to cool down a little.
When things seem more bearable.
When the world seems to slow down for just that little bit.
When you feel you've put in your effort for the day and now it is time to rest a little.
When you know you can get to bask in your family's love and presence after a day at work.




This was taken on a weekday evening a week ago. Outside the inlaw's place.
I know. It's just a scene from within a concrete jungle.

Nothing compared to what some see in other countries....
But I loved the view when I saw it.
And I guess, it was more special because I was with Alyssa.
Who was happily running around me in circles and squealing happy squeaks.

6 Degrees of Separation

This rings even truer in a small city-state like Singapore.

I was going through my Facebook feed and realised that a friend was baptised yesterday at the Catholic church, Church of St. Michael.

Scrolled down further and saw that another friend's wife was also baptised at the same ceremony.

Small small world....:)

Happy for them that they have opened their hearts and mind to the faith.

Peanut's 1st day at Childcare - 3 April 2017

I'm happy that the blogger app I'm using was updated. It's more stable now and doesn't crash every 30 seconds. And I can finally upload photos to this blog again. Hurrah!

So anyway, this is a throwback to Alyssa's first day at the childcare side.
She was pretty excited to wear the uniform. She looked so cute in it :)



Saturday, April 15, 2017

Cookie time

Nadya had to bake stuff to bring to school. She needs to do a show-and-tell about her baking experience as well.
And so voila...

Alyssa didn't partake in the end. She was happier running around the house. :) Anyway it was better I guess. For they'd both end up fighting if they were going to stir and mix the cookie dough together haha.
P/s: I spent a whole hour making their baker hats and aprons one weekday night a few days ago....it was worth the effort. They loved the hats and Nadya insisted on wearing the apron for more than an hour haha...

Wednesday, April 12, 2017

For the self

Some things which I set out to do this year for myself and have achieved so far:

- Go back to taking the train to go to work. I've been pretty consistent on this from the start of the work year and I'm all the better for it. My pockets too.
- As such, I've been walking more as well and this is doing some good to my body and general stamina. I think.
- Taking care of my face abit better.  Back to moisturising at night. I don't think my skin is getting enormously better, but I think I feel abit better about the state of it now...
- I've started stretching again. A few nights each week to slowly gain back some flexibility and maybe balance? (I used to do it every night before I got married....)
- Some time alone each night before I sleep. To loosen up, to get some laughs, to think through things, to be in an alternate world....


Things I've not managed to get a start on:
- More exercise. Sigh.
- More time on drawing and colouring.

Conversations with a 3.5 yr-old

This kid is getting smarter. She did her first pun ever that day.
We were in the shower and I was talking to her about claws. Can't remember why we were talking about claws though.

Me: Cats have claws you know? Tigers and lions too.
N: Santa also.
Me: Huh?
N: Santa Claus. So Santa has claws (claus) too.

LOL....



11 April

Yesterday was Granny's 3rd death anniversary.

I'd popped by Holy Family Church on Sunday to say some prayers for her, as well as for the family.

Nadya was at my inlaw's place so only K and Alyssa came along with me. The little girl was so in awe of the stained glass feature in the main church hall. I was glad that she was generally quite well-behaved too. I explained to her that we were there to say our prayers for Ah-Chor (great-granny in Hokkien). She nodded. Though I don't think she understood half of what I said.

Adrian and my parents went to the Marina Pier to pay their respects on Tues, the actual day of her death anniversary. I couldn't make it as I had a team meeting that morning and I couldn't take leave.

Why Marina Pier?

Because that's where we took the boat out to release her ashes into the sea......

I still tear when I think of her. Though I have to admit, I don't get much time to think of her these days. Not with the 2 little girls running around.

I hope Granny, Ipoh, Tuanku and their parents are having fun up there. Maybe playing mahjong and chewing on nonya kueh.

God bless her. RIP Granny....
Or in our family's Peranakan patois, RIP Mama....

Monday, April 10, 2017

April....beezee......

There seems to be many things going on in April...

  • Alyssa's transition to the childcare side...and her being upset in the mornings when we leave her at the childcare centre does take a toll on our minds too....:( 
  • Nadya had a school activity in early April
  • There was a manyue celebration on the 9th
  • Alyssa's having a vaccination jab on 13th
  • The school is closed on the 13th and 14th is a public holiday
  • There's another birthday thing on the 16th
  • Nadya needs to bring baked goodies to school on the 17th
  • I've a checkup on the 20th
  • Alyssa will have an excursion on the 21st
  • And we're in the midst of hiring a replacement helper since the current one wants to go back home already....
  • And.......I seem to think there's something else in end Apr but I can't recall....
  • And.....we need to arrange a meal with my uncle....
  • And.....K's birthday is on the 18th.....
  • And.....
  • And.....
  • And...
  • ........
  • ....
  • ...
  • ..


*breathe*

The patience that you need dealing with irritating colleagues is vastly different from the patience you need when handling your kids. You need more of it when handling adults. Especially when that said person is just sitting next to you. Period.

Thursday, April 06, 2017

!! !! !! !!

累了。

加油妈米!加油!

Fighting!

Mind over body doesn't seem to work that well these recent years...
Not when the mind is also fuzzy and frazzled and dazed with sleep deprivation...

Tuesday, April 04, 2017

Teamwork

We had a team meeting this morning and the boss brought up the issue of teamwork and care within the team. As a small team, we should care and help each other out. I agree, I really do and I'll strive to do it as far as possible.

My own key take-away?
Graciousness, thoughtfulness, consideration, care, concern and respect is important. Not just within a team. But even within a family and within the wider society. If all of us could just aim to do an act (or two) with one of these traits in mind, then the world will be a much better place.

My other thought?
The one colleague within this small team of 12 pax, the one who exhibits the most selfish tendencies, happens to be sitting right next to me in office. The Coll. Or Coll the Troll as I used to name her previously.

What's the most important trait I think we all should have?
Being considerate. Is this the same thing as having emphathy? I don't know...similar concept I guess. Thinking of others, how they would feel, putting yourself in their shoes and keeping them in mind.

Thursday, March 30, 2017

Toilet Training

It's been 2 weeks...and I think it's going great.
There were some nights when she actually lasted the entire night without going to pee. Although she still woke from time to time.

Nadya's a trooper!

Yay can save $ on diapers already and keep her remaining diapers for Alyssa to use. :)

Friday, March 24, 2017

......

Frustrations.

To highlight or not to highlight. 

Family. Work. Self-development. (Or the lack of). 

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Toilet training

Dry nights
Dry nights with fussing
Dry nights with no fussing

Wet nights
Wet nights with fussing
Wet nights with no fussing
Wet nights with mega-fussing

Towels
Tissue
Wet wipes
Extra T-shirts
Extra undies

Jiayou Nadya!
You can do it!

Jiayou Mummy!
You can do it!

stay awake

jiayou Michelle

in everything

K and the girls
family
friends
work
self

Friday, March 17, 2017

This....This motherhood thing

I don't think I'm doing a very good job at this motherhood thing.

My patience wears thin easily. And I yell at Nadya too frequently for my own liking. I admonish her for many things. Too much for my own liking. Am I stifling her?

I catch myself sometimes but the impatience and accompanying annoyance creeps back almost immediately, when she does things she's told not to or when she launches into one of her tantrums and list of unreasonable demands.

What can I do to stop myself?
What can I do to make things better for her and myself?

Loosen up?
Let some things go?
Lower expectations and standards?

I have to keep trying and working at it.
I have to.

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Mes filles...Ils ont volé mon coeur

Nadya.
We've started a new thing together recently. Just recently...
And it makes my heart soar each time. :) 

I'd say "I love you sayang" when I bid her goodbye after dropping her off in school.  
She'd reply with a "I love you mummy" or "I love you mama". 

*beams*

=========================
Alyssa.
We've started a new thing together recently. Just recently...
And it makes my heart soar each time. :)

I'd say "Mama will give you a kiss." And then I'd plant a kiss on her cheek. 
I'd then ask "Can you give me a kiss too?" And then she'd smack a wet kiss on my cheek too. 

*beams*


*sniff*

Ok...not so good...

I felt the onset of a sore throat when I finally went to bed at 1245am last night, after settling a cranky Nadya. When I woke this morning, I felt a little sniffly....

Mind over body.

I cannot fall sick.

...

....

.........

Where's my honey and lozenges again?.....

Wednesday morning 15 March

It could be the sudden change in routine.
It could be due to her cough and phelgm.
Nah...I think it's probably the sudden change in routine.

K's on ICT. And so the inlaws come over every morning now to bring both kids to school. I'd hitch a ride with them and they would drop me off at the nearest bus-stop before dropping the kids off.

What's been happening over the past 3 mornings is that Nadya would kick up a big fuss in the morning. "I don't want to go to school." is a common protest. "I don't want yeye nainai to bring me to school. I want dada to send me to school." is another common one.

This morning takes the cake. She had calmed down already and we were all nicely strapped up in the car. Less than 5mins later, while we were on the road, she started fussing. Like nobody's business.

She tried to wriggle out of her car seat straps and actually managed to get both arms out. My FIL was panicking. My MIL was trying to distract and calm both kids down by talking and singing incessantly. It erm...didn't really work. Alyssa gets easily affected by someone else crying and so she started crying as well.

2 bawling and screaming kids.
1 panicky driver.
1 kancheong grandmother.
1 helpless mother.

In one car.

We managed to find our way to the nearest carpark. Got out and this Mama had to bring on her full charm and mama hacks to the table.

Got the big one settled in a few minutes.....and carried the wriggling small one.
All got back into the car and we finally moved off.
Only managed to get the small one into her car seat somewhere along the journey....

I was so very late by the time we checked both girls in to their school.
FIL offered to send me to work in the end...

I hope tomorrow and Friday morning turn out ok.
I hope next week turns out well too!........

Ganbatte!
Fighting!
Fighting!

Thursday, March 02, 2017

Peanut - the cheery one

Your happy and innocent smile this morning blew me away.
We were in the car en route to school.
You tilted your head back and angled it so that you could see out the window.
At the trees passing by. At the canopies flitting by so quickly.

I bet you got groggy from staring at them.
Was that why your smile morphed into an absolutely cheeky one thereafter?
Your eyes crinkled up. Your cheek had a dimple because your smile was so wide open.
You looked gorgeous. You looked so adorable. You looked so lovely.

Stay this way sweetie.
Bless the world with your smiles and happiness always.
Grow up well but do take your time too. No need to hurry.
Dada, mama and jiejie love you always and will always be here with you, for you.